Location, licenses, permits and costs

Using parks as a free space to host workouts is one of most appealing aspects of delivering an outdoor community-based fitness program, however, many councils or local governments require various recreational permits for you to run your fitness business on council or other entity owned land.

In your search for a great outdoor location to deliver your community-based fitness programs and run your fitness business outside, ensure you explore the website of your local council Parks and Recreation use of requirements to find out:

• Who owns the land/outdoor area in which you wish to run your outdoor training
• If outdoor training is allowed in the public space, according to bylaws
• Whether a permit is required to delivery outdoor training programs
• How much will it cost to use the space, over what period of time?
• What are you required to provide to be eligible to apply for a permit?
• What are the restraints? Day/Time, group size, noise, use of council/own equipment

Tip

The sooner you start this research process, the better. Many times it can take weeks or even months for a permit to get approved.

While there is a trend in some countries and areas that have identified that low levels of physical activity are a risk factor for the health and vibrancy of their communities, to relax any barriers, which included permits and fees, there are many and varied council requirements, local laws and legislative requirements to run your outdoor fitness business across different jurisdictions.

If you are in Australia, Fitness Australia has researched over 12,000 parks across all states and territories to assist you with this. You can research your local council requirements for outdoor training using that tool here.